I started my exploration into electronics, specifically avoiding microcontrollers to force myself not to “turn a hardware problem into a software one”, primarily as software is my comfort zone. This, combined with my desire to use the simplest tools at my disposal, has left to things Arduino (let alone a daisy) as devices I employ only when other options escape me (e.g a Euclidean sequencer I made). I have a couple of comments on building designs around things other than microcontrollers, and analogue electronics in general I’ll share:
- At all times, in all parts of your circuit you should know how much current will flow and what the voltage range will be: without this you are working blind. I always simulate circuit fragments to double check my thinking Vs their theoretical behaviour under various loads.
- Start your design with a concept of what your design should do then expand that into a block diagram of high level functional units and not schematics (you don’t even need to figure out power). Implement each functional unit in the simplest and most direct manner.
- When looking at a schematic ask yourself what purpose Evey single component serves, and why it has the value it does. This is tricky but you don’t want to get into of habit of saying “I probably just need a pull down” or " let’s add a decoupling cap": know what, and why.
- Understand why you need buffers, couplers, drivers and other elements that logically and electrically separate parts of the circuit. For example a buffer allows you to bridge parts of the circuit of differing total resistance without worrying about creating unintentional potential dividers. When suitably buffered you can treat a large complex circuit as discrete subcircuits, without you often can’t.
- Learn and keep in mind the basic laws of electronics: ohm’s law, Kirchoff’s law, Norton’s theorem, thevenin’s theorem.
- When dealing with any IC, try and understand it from the datasheet Vs trying to lift a premade sub circuit from someone else’s design. Different designs need different implementations and “copy paste design” can really hold you back.
- When dealing with data sheets for fairly common parts, there are often multiple sheets available for different versions (packaging, purpose and manufacturer). Some of these will be extremely informative (e.g providing reference design snippets for various purposes) and some will feel like they assume you already know exactly what the is and how to use it. In other words learn from the most informative one you can find, but always refer to the one that matches your part for fine tuning things.
- Remember that a lot of ICs and consideration started around the are oriented toward use near their limits (e.g switching rates in the MHz).
I think I should cut my list short here to avoid getting into increasingly philosophical territory. Just keep in mind that, though some people look like they treat circuit design as an art (and in audio especially it can work as such) it is much more of a science and engineering discipline. Use your artistic sensibility to conceive of intersting things you might like to do (musically or electronically); use your engineering (and aesthetic sensibility) to turn that idea into a workable end product. Remember that a product is not just a box of circuits, it’s a tool for someone: physical (ergonomic and logical) layout, graphic and mechanical design, consistent design language, membership of an ecosystem and much more factor into its usefulness to the end user (even if that user is just you). Above all, have a goal, and have fun.
